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Australian Shepherd Adoption Quebec

Adoptable Australian Shepherds in Quebec, gathered from Montreal, Trois-Rivières, Sherbrooke and Gatineau rescue organizations and refreshed regularly.

4 Australian Shepherds listed across 1 city from 4 rescues

1 Australian Shepherd puppy available in Quebec

Under a year old, listed by rescues and shelters. Updated as shelters publish.

Nava

Nava

7 months · montreal

Showing 4 dogs

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Adopting an Australian Shepherd in Quebec

Australian Shepherds come into Quebec rescue steadily, usually as adolescents. Like the Border Collie, they are herding dogs bought on looks, and the surrender tends to happen once the drive arrives and the household discovers what a working dog actually asks for.

Drive, herding, and adolescence

Aussies need real daily exercise plus mental work, and the mental half is what most owners miss. A long run leaves you with a fit dog that is still looking for a job. Training, scent work, agility and structured tasks are what actually settle them. Without it they become anxious, noisy and destructive, and they herd whatever is available, usually children or bicycles.

The hardest period is roughly eight to eighteen months. A dog surrendered at that age is generally normal rather than damaged, and a structured routine through adolescence makes the difference. They are also sensitive and do best with reward-based training rather than heavy correction.

The MDR1 question, and merle

Australian Shepherds carry the MDR1 gene mutation at high rates, which affects how the dog processes several common drugs, including some parasite treatments and anaesthetics. A dog with the mutation can be seriously harmed by an ordinary dose. It is a simple cheek-swab test and the result should be on the file and given to your vet. Ask the rescue whether it has been done.

Merle coats are common in the breed and carry a caution: two merle parents can produce double-merle puppies with serious sight and hearing defects. If you are adopting an adult with a lot of white and merle, ask what the rescue has observed about vision and hearing. Hip dysplasia and eye conditions also appear.

What adopting a dog in Quebec actually involves

Quebec dog rescue runs through a handful of regional shelters rather than a dense network of breed-specific groups. The Montreal SPCA is the largest, and the SPA de la Mauricie in Trois-Rivières and the SPA de l’Estrie in Sherbrooke carry most of the rest. Expect the process to run primarily in French, including listings and application forms, even where staff are bilingual. Say at first contact if you would rather work in English, and ask for the adoption contract in a language you can read before signing.

Housing is the step rescues care most about. Most Quebec households rent, often in a plex or a walk-up, and the shortage of rentals that accept animals is one of the reasons shelters cite most often for surrender. Get your landlord’s permission in writing before you apply. One piece of local context worth knowing: since 2015, animals in Quebec are not property. Article 898.1 of the Code civil du Québec describes them as sentient beings with biological needs, which is the backdrop to how rescues here write their contracts.

Looking more broadly? Browse every adoptable dog across the province on Dog Adoption Quebec.

The rescues that most often list Australian Shepherds across the province are SPA de la Mauricie, SPA de l'Estrie, and SPCA Laurentides-Labelle. For breed-specific background, the Canadian Kennel Club is a useful reference.

Australian Shepherd Adoption FAQ — Quebec

Tap a question to expand

How many Australian Shepherds are available for adoption in Quebec?▼
As of September 2026, 4 Australian Shepherds are available for adoption in Quebec across 4 rescues on LocalPetFinder. Listings update regularly as dogs are adopted and new ones arrive — browse the current Australian Shepherds above and apply directly through the rescue.
Where can I adopt an Australian Shepherd near me in Quebec?▼
LocalPetFinder gathers adoptable Australian Shepherds from the Quebec organizations we track, including the Montreal SPCA, the SPA de la Mauricie in Trois-Rivières and the SPA de l’Estrie in Sherbrooke, into one list. Quebec dog inventory is small compared with its cat inventory, so this list moves and it is worth checking back or setting an alert rather than assuming nothing is available.
What is MDR1 and why does it matter for Australian Shepherds?▼
MDR1 is a gene mutation, common in Aussies and other herding breeds, that impairs how the dog clears certain drugs from the brain. A dog carrying it can be seriously harmed by an ordinary dose of some parasite treatments, sedatives and anaesthetics. Testing is a simple cheek swab. Ask whether the dog has been tested and make sure the result reaches your vet before any procedure.
Do Australian Shepherds need a lot of exercise?▼
Yes, and crucially it cannot all be physical. This is a herding breed built to work all day under direction, so running alone produces a fit dog that is still mentally unemployed and still looking for a job. Plan on real daily training, scent games or dog sport alongside the exercise. Without it Aussies become anxious and destructive and start herding children and bicycles.
What is the difference between a Standard, Mini, and Toy Australian Shepherd?▼
The Standard Australian Shepherd is the recognized breed. The Miniature (now its own breed, the Mini American Shepherd) and the Toy Aussie are smaller versions bred down in size, popular but not the same registered breed. All come in the striking Aussie colours: blue merle, red merle, black, and red, usually with copper and white points. Breeding two merle dogs together can produce double-merle puppies with a high risk of deafness and blindness, so merle-to-merle breeding is a real welfare concern. Size aside, every Aussie needs serious daily exercise and a job.
How much does it cost to adopt an Australian Shepherd in Quebec?▼
Adopting an Australian Shepherd in Quebec typically costs $300 to $700, and puppies usually carry a premium at $500 to $900. The exact fee varies by rescue, and older dogs are often reduced. That fee is not a purchase price. It covers work already done on the dog: spay or neuter, vaccinations, deworming, microchip, and a basic vet workup, which would cost several hundred dollars more if you arranged it yourself after buying. Buying the same breed from a registered breeder generally runs well over $1,000, usually with a waitlist. Ask the rescue what is included before you apply, since a few include extras like a starter bag of food or a first-month insurance trial.
Can I get an Australian Shepherd free to a good home in Quebec?▼
Rarely, and it is worth understanding why. Rescues and shelters in Quebec charge an adoption fee rather than rehoming dogs for free, because the fee covers veterinary work already done — spay or neuter, vaccinations, microchip — and because a fee is one of the few filters against someone taking an animal they cannot afford to keep. Private "free to a good home" ads are the riskier route: they are a known channel for people who flip animals for resale, and the dog usually comes with no vet history, no spay or neuter, and no way to check what you are being told. If cost is the constraint, the practical routes are an owner rehoming a Australian Shepherd directly, where fees are often low or waived, and adult or senior dogs at a rescue, which are frequently reduced because they wait longest. Both give you a dog whose history someone can actually tell you about.
Are these Australian Shepherds for sale in Quebec?▼
Not for sale, for adoption, which is usually the better deal. Every Australian Shepherd here comes from a Quebec rescue or shelter, not a breeder, pet store, or classified seller. Adoption fees are typically $300 to $700, with puppies at $500 to $900 and already include vaccinations, deworming, microchip and spay or neuter when age-appropriate, versus roughly $2,000 to $5,000 or more to buy an Australian Shepherd from a breeder. If you searched "australian shepherd for sale quebec" or "australian shepherd puppies for sale," adopting gets you a healthy, vetted dog for a fraction of the price.
Where can I buy an Australian Shepherd in Quebec, and should I?▼
You can buy from a registered breeder, but it is worth weighing against adoption first. A reputable Australian Shepherd breeder typically charges $2,000 to $5,000 or more and often has a waitlist, while a rescue Australian Shepherd costs $300 to $700, with puppies at $500 to $900 fully vetted and may be available now. Be cautious of cheap australian shepherd-for-sale ads on classified sites and marketplaces, which are frequently backyard breeders or puppy-mill resellers with unvetted, sometimes sick animals and no health guarantee. If you do buy, insist on seeing where the puppies were raised and getting vet records. For most families in Quebec, adopting a rescue Australian Shepherd is cheaper, faster, and gives an dog in need a home.
Are there free Australian Shepherds in Quebec, or australian shepherds under $500?▼
Adoption is the closest honest answer, and it is not free. A rescue Australian Shepherd in Quebec typically costs $300 to $700, with puppies at $500 to $900, so the lower end lands under the "$500" people search for and the rest does not. What the fee buys is work already done, the vaccinations, deworming, microchip and spay or neuter, which would cost more than the fee itself if you arranged it yourself, and it is still far below breeder prices. Be wary of genuinely free australian shepherd listings. An animal advertised free to a good home has usually not been vetted, and free rehoming ads are the route flippers and unregistered breeders use to move animals with no health guarantee and no recourse. Paying a rescue fee buys you a dog someone has already examined, treated, and been honest with you about.
Are there Australian Shepherd puppies in Quebec, or only adults?▼
Both, but adults far outnumber puppies, and it is worth knowing that before you start looking. Most Australian Shepherds arriving in Quebec rescue are adolescents and adults, because that is the age at which first homes tend to give up. Puppies do come through, usually as accidental litters or with a surrendered mother, and they are typically spoken for quickly. Setting an alert beats refreshing the page. It is also worth asking whether you actually want one: an adult arrives with a temperament a foster has already observed and described, where an Australian Shepherd puppy is a prediction, and for this breed in particular knowing what you are getting is the more useful thing.
Where can I find an Australian Shepherd near me in Quebec?▼
Start with the listings on this page, which pull from Quebec rescues and shelters and are refreshed regularly, so what you see is what is genuinely available rather than a stale directory. If nothing suits today, that is normal for this breed: rescue intake is intermittent rather than steady, and a breed with none listed this week often has several next month. Setting an alert beats checking back, and it is worth widening to nearby towns, since most rescues serving Quebec will adopt out across a reasonable driving distance rather than only inside one municipality.

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Australian Shepherd adoption by city in Quebec

Each city page lists only the australian shepherds available from rescues serving that city, with local adoption details.

Australian Shepherd adoption in Montreal4

Need to rehome a Australian Shepherd?

If you can no longer keep your Australian Shepherd, you can list them for free on LocalPetFinder. Your dog stays in your home until you find the right family, you screen who applies, and there is no surrender fee. Not sure yet? Our guide to surrendering a dog in Canada walks through every option first.

List your dog for free →